Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus ...

[Pages:52]Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus (Revised 4-21-20; most recent Q&A's or updated answers in red)

This document is a compilation of questions that DECAL has received from child care providers, families, policy makers, and the public relating to the impact of COVID-19.

The most recent questions and answers are in red font at the beginning of this document. For additional information, scroll through the questions and answers on the following pages organized by DECAL programs.

Please visit this webpage often because this document will be updated regularly as additional questions are submitted.

New Questions regarding Child Care Licensing (CCS)

Is there a waiver/hold harmless agreement providers should have families and staff sign when they reopen to avoid getting sued if someone contracts COVID-19? DECAL cannot give legal advice to child care providers and will not require or provide a COVID-19 waiver. If you have questions, we recommend that you check with your program's attorney or legal advisor to help you make an informed decision.

Governor Brian Kemp's Executive Orders Related to COVID-19

On April 8, 2020, Governor Kemp signed an executive order extending Georgia's public health state of emergency through May 13, 2020 and extending the statewide shelter in place order through April 30, 2020. All provisions of the statewide shelter in place order remain in effect.

On April 2, 2020, Governor Brian Kemp issued an Executive Order requiring Georgians to shelter-in-place to stop the spread of COVID-19. The Executive Order can be found at: .

On March 26, 2020, Governor Brian Kemp issued an Executive Order closing public elementary and secondary schools for in-person instruction through April 24, 2020. The Executive Order can be found at: .

At noon on March 24, 2020, an Executive Order issued by Governor Brian Kemp went into effect. The order, in effect through April 6, 2020, bans gatherings of more than 10 people unless they can always maintain spacing of at least six feet between people. The order does not distinguish between staff, children, and volunteers; any individual present is counted as part of the 10. The Executive Order can be found at: .

Some answers to these Frequently Asked Questions have been revised in light of the Governor's Executive Orders.

FOR PROVIDERS: Regarding Georgia's Pre-K Program

How does the Governor's Executive Order impact Georgia's Pre-K Programs?

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Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus (Revised 4-21-20; most recent Q&A's or updated answers in red)

In keeping with Governor Kemp's recent order to close Georgia's public elementary and secondary schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, DECAL is closing all Georgia's Pre-K classrooms for the remainder of the school year.

DECAL will continue to make Georgia's Pre-K payments as scheduled. If a program is currently serving Georgia's Pre-K children and a parent requires continued child care, Pre-K funds can be used to pay for their care during the 6 ? hour instructional day. Tuition for the 6 ? hour instructional day may not be charged for a Pre-K child who is currently on your Pre-K roster during COVID closures.

Georgia's Pre-K lead and assistant teachers must continue to receive salary and may not be required to report to work. (However, programs are not required to pay salary for Spring Break if this conflicts with their established salary policy.)

How long is the Pre-K closure in effect? Georgia's Pre-K programs are closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

Will programs with a scheduled Spring Break be required to pay the lead and assistant teacher for the week of Spring Break? Programs that have a scheduled Spring Break should follow their own salary policy regarding whether teachers are paid for Spring Break.

Will Pre-K payments be paid on schedule? Yes, DECAL will execute payments on schedule even if the state office staff are teleworking or if the state office is closed. The April payment is scheduled on or before April 13, 2020. Payments will be based on the April roster count.

Will make-up days be required due to COVID-19 closures? At this time, teachers and students will not be required to make up days missed due to the COVID-19 closures.

Should Pre-K lead and assistant teachers be paid while Pre-K classes are closed? Yes. Pre-K lead and assistant teachers must be paid while Pre-K classes are closed. Pre-K payments will not be adjusted for closure days due to COVID-19. Therefore, lead and assistant teachers must be paid according to the established salary agreements between the employer and employee. Changes may not be made in the salary agreement due to closures associated with COVID-19. For example, if your agreement with a lead teacher is that you will pay your lead teacher 100% of the posted salary, you may not reduce the amount the teacher now receives to 90%. Programs must arrange to process and distribute pay to Pre-K teachers.

Do I need to submit my roster even though all Pre-K classes are closed? Yes, your roster should be submitted even though Pre-K classes are closed. Roster 4 is due by 5 p.m. on April 3. Providers are encouraged to submit their roster as soon as possible and not wait until the due date. If your roster is ready for submission, you should go ahead and submit it now.

Will my Pre-K payment be prorated if my program closes due to COVID-19? Pre-K payments will not be prorated due to COVID-19 classroom closures. Payments will be based on roster 4 which is due by April 3rd.

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Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus (Revised 4-21-20; most recent Q&A's or updated answers in red)

Should lunch fees be charged if a Pre-K program is closed? What if a child is absent? Meal fees for children enrolled in Georgia's Pre-K should not be charged when the Pre-K program is closed. If an individual child is absent, existing meal fee policies should be followed.

Will Pre-K payments be paid on schedule? Yes, DECAL will execute payments on schedule even if the state office staff are teleworking or if the state office is closed. The April payment is scheduled on or before April 12, 2020. Payments will be based on the April roster count.

Should Pre-K students be counted as absent on days when the Pre-K program is closed? If the program/classroom is closed, the closure should be noted on the attendance roster.

Does DECAL recommend "digital learning" days for Pre-K students? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one hour of total screen time for children age 4. Screen time includes ALL screens including TV, laptops, and hand-held devices. DECAL does not support online learning days for Pre-K children and encourages families and Pre-K providers to limit screen time to no more than one hour a day in high quality digital content.

FOR PROVIDERS: Regarding Child Care Licensing (CCS)

Does the CDC recommend that children age three and older wear masks? The CDC recommends that children, age three and above, wear face masks in public places. Because child care is considered a public place, business owners can decide how to best follow the CDC's guidance in their programs. Expecting young children to keep masks on...and keeping the masks clean... presents challenges to providers. Some children, after seeing their parents wear masks, might be comfortable wearing a mask, but others may be afraid or upset by a mask. If you choose to use face masks at your facility, any mask not in use must be kept in an individual, labeled ziplock bag to ensure it remains sanitized. All reusable masks must be washed at the end of the day.

My CPR and first aid certification will expire soon. Can I still find training? The American Red Cross continues to publish First Aid and CPR training by approved entities at locations throughout the state on their website at: . Some published trainings include additional precautions trainers are taking during the COVID-19 event. CPR training by the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, the National Safety Council, and the American Safety and Health Institute are all acceptable. Also, a licensed or certified health care professional who meets the rule requirement can provide this training. CPR training is required to include hands-on training; therefore, CPR training conducted solely online does not meet the rule requirement. If you are having difficulty finding CPR training that includes the hands-on portion and the staff member's training expired on or after March 1, 2020 through the duration of the COVID-19 event, contact your Child Care Services regional consultant for guidance.

If my cafeteria has four walls, a door, and a bathroom, can it be used as a classroom? Typically, cafeterias are high traffic areas and the central hub of a center. Providers must ensure that at any given time no more than 10 people are within this space, and if people must pass through the cafeteria to access other parts of the program, they must maintain appropriate social distancing of six feet between themselves and others as they pass through.

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Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus (Revised 4-21-20; most recent Q&A's or updated answers in red)

If the cafeteria space has not been licensed, an amendment will need to be completed and submitted for approval to your child care consultant before use. The cafeteria space is limited in accordance with the Governor's Executive Order, in that no more than 10 people, including caregivers, can be present in one location. Due to a cafeteria not normally being used as a classroom, only non-diapered children can be cared for in this space. In addition, age appropriate materials and activities should be provided.

My child care program is currently doing drop-off and pick-up at the front door. How should we have families sign their children in and out each day? The purpose of having families sign their children in and out each day is to ensure center staff can account for all children at any given time, in the event of a fire or similar type of emergency; therefore, child care programs should continue to follow a sign in/out procedure. During this time when access to facilities is limited, child care providers can sign children in and out for the parents if they are using a computer system. They can also use a tablet outside of the building during drop-off and pick-up to allow families to complete the check-in/check-out process, but the tablet would need to be disinfected after each use. A third option is to sign-in and out on paper. Programs should also maintain documentation as required by the rules and regulations. Programs can take extra precautions if pens are used by having multiple pens available. The pens should be sanitized with a disinfectant wipe or other means before another person uses the pen.

With class sizes limited to no more than 10 including teachers, if I have too many children enrolled in a classroom, how do I decide who can attend? Although no one wants to turn away families who are enrolled or wish to enroll, child care must adhere to Governor Kemp's Executive Order of March 23, which states that no more than 10 people can gather in one location unless six feet of social distancing can be maintained. For child care, this means that classrooms can have no more than 10 people, including teachers. If demand exceeds space at a licensed or exempt program, providers must make the business decision about who they will serve by prioritizing enrollment slots. DECAL recommends giving priority to families who are essential workers, so they can provide vital services to the community in this critical time.

Can you combine classes during afterschool hours if class size, including teachers, is no more than 10? At the current time, all public schools in Georgia are closed. Children under three (3) years of age must be housed in a separate physical area from older children except during early morning times of arrival, and late afternoon times of departure, which generally means the first and last hour of the operating day. During these times when children are mixed, the ratios for the youngest child in the group must be followed, and no more than 10 people can be in the classroom regardless of age.

Does outdoor equipment have to be disinfected between groups that use the playground? The CDC recommends that all surfaces that are frequently touched be cleaned and sanitized regularly. DECAL recommends that play equipment be disinfected between groups.

Do adjacent playgrounds separated by fencing count as separate locations? If the barrier between playgrounds is a barrier four feet high or higher, the playgrounds should be counted as separate spaces. However, the limit of 10 per group would still be in place, and staff should consider staggering playground times so only one group is outside at a time. If unable to stagger playground times, then staff should ensure staff and children do not gather and socialize near the fence on adjoining playgrounds.

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Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus (Revised 4-21-20; most recent Q&A's or updated answers in red)

Do we have any information about how the Governor's Executive Order might affect summer camp? Day camps may continue to operate according to the exemption approval the program has obtained. If a program needs to modify the hours or days served, the program director may download the exemption amendment form found at

If our center is exempt from licensing (church based; only four hours per day for children over age two), what mandate regarding pay for staff do we follow? DECAL does not provide guidance on staff pay for programs other than Georgia's Pre-K Program. Georgia's Pre-K Program is the only program fully funded by DECAL.

Does the limit of 10 people, including children and staff, apply to playgrounds? Yes. There can be no more than 10 individuals in a group whether it's indoors or outdoors. Although there is often enough space for six feet of social distancing on playgrounds, we know that is not the way children play or interact.

If my classroom capacity is more than 10, do I still need to limit the class size to 10 including children and staff? Yes. To comply with the Governor's Executive Order on March 23, 2020, there can be no more than 10 people in one location. For child care learning centers, a location is a classroom with four full walls and a door. For family child care learning homes, a location is the home.

I have a staff of five (5). We all have the same expiration date for CPR/first aid, which is April 27. Will there be an extension on expiration dates? No extensions will be provided. At least one program administrator and one staff member at the program must have current CPR/First Aid certifications.

Does a child care program have to participate in Quality Rated for their COVID-19 open/closed status and children's vacancy information to show at ? No, ALL licensed and exempt child care program's information can be seen by the public if entered in DECAL KOALA.

Can exempt faith-based morning preschools get a waiver to be open more than 20 hours per week in the short term to make up some of the hours missed due to closures? If a program has an exemption for ages 2-6, four hours each day, and 20 hours each week, the program is limited to providing services only for these time periods. Beyond these limits, the program is required to be licensed. If you find the need to adjust your hours of operation, contact our office so we can discuss the licensure process with you.

Will there be an extension for staff's 10-hour health and safety orientation training? Rule .33(3) allows for completion within the first 90 days of employment. At this time, there will not be an extension. NOTE: This training is available online.

I'm a Family Child Care provider. If I accept kids of first responders, can I care for them outside of my normal hours (2nd &/or 3rd shift)?

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Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus (Revised 4-21-20; most recent Q&A's or updated answers in red)

An amendment would need to be completed to update hours of care. If those hours consist of night time care, you would need to comply with night time care rules. Also, the limit of no more than 10 individuals, including children, staff, and residents of the home, would still apply. NOTE: FCCLHs may have no more than six children for pay present at any given time, and ratios must be maintained according to the rules and regulations.

How long do we close our day cares for? The decision to close a child care learning center or family child care learning home or remain open is up to you as a business owner. DECAL advises owners and directors to consult their local health departments and to follow all local and state ordinances in making decisions.

How do we deal with parents that do not want to pay since they are keeping their kids at home, but we are still open?

As most child care programs are private businesses, policies related to tuition and family fees are left up to the individual programs. For programs receiving CAPS, Georgia's Pre-K, and other DECAL funding, we are continuing to make payments even if children are unable to attend. We hope that continuing these funds helps programs meet current challenges and minimizes burdens on families.

I just found out that a child care center in the community tested positive for coronavirus. How many child care centers have reported coronavirus? Specific data that links COVID-19 and specific child care centers is unavailable. Programs are encouraged to contact their local health departments and to utilize data from the Georgia Department of Public Health website to learn about cases of coronavirus in local communities/counties.

My husband was exposed to the virus through the school system last week. I closed my home day care for the remainder of this week, but I plan to re-open next week (which would be six days closed...not the recommended 14-day quarantine). Is this adequate time to re-open? As DECAL staff are not medical experts, we strongly recommend that programs with specific questions contact their local Department of Public Health.

What should we do about staff with underlying health conditions but aren't currently showing signs of the virus or aren't sick? Programs are advised to contact their local Department of Public Health and review all CDC guidelines related to questions about specific COVID-19 risk factors.

What recommendations does DECAL have if an exposure happens within a facility? Should we only follow the Department of Health, or does DECAL recommend a closure time frame? What should we do if a parent/teacher/child tests positive for Covid-19 once we reopen? DECAL advises programs to contact their local Department of Public Health about possible COVID-19 exposures.

We attempted to keep our program open, but our count was very low last week. So, we had to close. I sent in my closure status to DECAL Koala but am not sure how long we will be closed. What do we do now? Thank you for entering your information in DECAL Koala. This is helpful in tracking and measuring access to available child care. When you reopen, be sure to update your status in DECAL Koala.

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Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus (Revised 4-21-20; most recent Q&A's or updated answers in red)

I have already seen on social media where people are setting up "group babysitting groups" in someone's home. I think we will begin to see many unregulated child care situations. Does DECAL have a plan to monitor or educate the public on this? DECAL continues to monitor and work with all licensed child care. DECAL also provides information to programs who are seeking information about regulations and possibly seeking a licensing exemption. Any reports of unlicensed child care that should be licensed will be investigated.

I was told that if I close my center, I would not get reimbursement for this month. Is this right or I won't get reimbursed for the weeks I'm closed? DECAL is continuing to make CAPS and Georgia's Pre-K payments for participating programs, including those who are closed. In terms of tuition-based reimbursement, how and what you collect is based on your policies and is at your discretion.

The order bans all gatherings of more than 10 people unless the group can always maintain spacing of at least six feet between people. What does this mean for child care programs? Because child care programs cannot always maintain six feet between people, group sizes must be no more than 10 people, including staff, to follow the order. NOTE: Staff: child ratios must be followed per the rules and regulations.

Does the Governor's Executive Order apply to family child care learning homes (FCCLH)? Yes, the order applies to FCCLHs, so to comply with the order, each FCCLH must ensure that there are no more than 10 individuals present at a FCCLH at one time. This includes staff, residents of the home, family members, and enrolled children, regardless of pay status. NOTE: FCCLHs may have no more than six children for pay present at any given time, and ratios must be maintained according to the rules and regulations.

What does self-contained classroom mean? To be considered self-contained, a classroom must be separated from other classrooms in the building by fixed walls, which can include windows/glass and doors. Large rooms split into multiple spaces using shelving units and other such dividers or partitions are not self-contained classrooms.

Additional information about self-contained classrooms: If the room has an accordion wall, the accordion wall may be used: ? if the accordion wall runs floor to ceiling with no more than a one-foot space between the top of the

accordion wall and the ceiling; AND ? once the accordion wall is opened to create two self-contained classrooms, if each classroom has

their own entrance, the accordion wall must always remain closed. If the room does not have two entrances, programs must ensure that at any given time no more than 10 people are within each space, and if people must pass through the room to access the other room, they must maintain appropriate social distancing of six feet between themselves and others as they pass through; AND ? there are no fire marshal restrictions to use the space as two separate rooms.

The Executive Order states that no one shall allow more than 10 persons to be gathered at a single location, if such gathering requires persons to stand or be seated within six feet of any other person. How do child care programs meet this requirement?

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Frequently Asked Questions Related to Covid-19/Coronavirus (Revised 4-21-20; most recent Q&A's or updated answers in red)

To meet this requirement, child care programs must ensure that groups of 10 or less children and staff are in self-contained classrooms. Current guidelines around social distancing, primarily that individuals remain six (6) or more feet apart and that groups remain at less than 10, are hard to follow in child care settings. What are your recommendations? We recommend that, where possible, class sizes remain at 10. We understand that six feet apart is not possible when caring for children. Therefore, it is critically important that you diligently maintain cleaning standards and implement strategies such as reducing the number of adults who can enter your program and conducting temperature checks on visitors and children. How often do I inform DECAL of my business closure status? If I have a question about how to report my status, who do I call? If your open/closure status changes, we ask that you inform us immediately. It is important that DECAL keep up to date open/closure information. If you have a question about how your open/closure status should be noted, contact your specific child care consultant. How do I report the operating status of my licensed or exempt child care programs? You can use your DECAL KOALA account to report if your program is continuing to operate or if you have chosen to close your program. If you have already reported your status to your CCS consultant via email or telephone, they will enter the information in KOALA for you. If you have not yet reported this information to DECAL, follow these steps:

? Log in to your DECAL KOALA account at ? From the Green Menu Bar, click Facility Update ? Click Operating Details ? Enter your program's COVID-19 info in the Blue area

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